Black Bean “Jajang” Bolo Rice
At L.A.’s Yangban Society—one of our 10 Best New Restaurants of 2022—chefs Katianna and John Hong pay homage to a classic Korean Chinese black bean dish known as jajangmyeon with their Black Bean “Jajang” Bolo Rice. They take the traditional sauce, whose backbone lies in earthy fermented black bean paste (jajang or chunjang in Korean) and spin it as an ode to ragù Bolognese, using tomatoes and the Italian soffrito base of onion, carrot, and celery. Instead of pasta, the deeply savory “ragù” gets served alongside steamed white rice. Look for black bean paste with “roasted” on the label; it will have more flavor. Cool cucumber and fresh scallions offer the perfect counterpoint to the richness of this dish.
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What you’ll need
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Food Processor
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Dutch Oven
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Glass Measuring Cup
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Ladle
$13 At Amazon
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Recipe information
Yield
4 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Pulse 1 small onion, coarsely chopped, 2 celery stalks, coarsely chopped, 3 small carrots, peeled, chopped, and 4 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped, in a food processor until very finely chopped. Transfer to a small bowl.
Step 2
Heat 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter and 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot over medium. Add onion mixture and stir to coat; season lightly with kosher salt. Cook, stirring often, until vegetables are slightly softened, about 4 minutes. Add one 14.5-oz. can crushed tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened and darkened in color, about 5 minutes. Pour in 1 cup dry red wine, bring to a boil, and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly reduced, about 3 minutes.
Step 3
Add 8 oz. ground beef and 8 oz. ground pork, breaking into small clumps with a wooden spoon, and cook, stirring often, until mostly cooked through, 5–7 minutes. Add 6 Tbsp. roasted black bean paste, 3 Tbsp. oyster sauce, and ½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper and stir to combine. Pour in 4 cups low-sodium beef broth and bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits stuck to bottom of pot. Reduce heat, partially cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until meat is very tender, 45–60 minutes. Uncover and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce is reduced by about one third, 15–20 minutes longer.
Step 4
Stir together 1 Tbsp. cornstarch and ½ cup water in a small bowl. Add slurry to sauce and cook, stirring, until sauce is glossy and thick enough to coat a spoon, about 2 minutes. Taste and season with more salt if needed.
Step 5
Divide steamed short-grain white rice among shallow bowls; ladle sauce over. Top with thinly sliced cucumber and toasted sesame seeds.
